Chapter 297: The True Trump Card, Peacock Plume
The disciples of the Clear Sky Sect gazed up at Tang San in the sky, dumbfounded. With the Blue Silver Overlord Spear shattered by Dai Yao, they felt a sinking despair. But hearing Tang San claim he was about to use his true power, they couldn't help but wonder—what was this hidden strength?
Even the elders of the Clear Sky Sect were asking the same. The Second Elder turned to Tang Xiao, asking, "Sect Master, do you have any idea what Tang San means by his 'true power'?"
Tang Xiao looked up at Tang San, eyes filled with doubt. "Second Uncle, I don't know what this true power of his could be. Perhaps Moonhua knows more."
All the elders and Tang Xiao shifted their gaze to Tang Yuehua, who, with a calm and elegant smile, nodded. "Elder Brother, Elders, I am indeed somewhat familiar with Xiao San's true abilities. He once demonstrated them to me in Yuexuan. If he truly unleashes his full power, even an ordinary Spirit Sage would struggle to be his match."
"A Spirit Sage would struggle?" one elder exclaimed.
Tang Yuehua nodded, turning to the elder. "You'll all soon see. This technique is something never before witnessed on the continent."
Their curiosity piqued, all eyes shifted back to Tang San in the sky.
Facing Dai Yao, who was hovering in midair on his wings, Tang San's eyes gleamed with a fierce resolve. His hand brushed over the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist, seemingly retrieving something, and his arms dropped to his sides. His eyes turned an intense shade of purple.
Dai Yao, meeting Tang San's gaze, froze for an instant, caught by the mental attack. In that fleeting moment, Tang San raised his hands, and a barrage of chilling flashes streaked from his fingers toward Dai Yao, aiming for critical points—his eyes, shoulders, heart, lower abdomen, throat, and head.
The younger disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were bewildered by what was happening, but the elders and Tang Xiao focused intently on the ten flying Bone-Piercing Needles that whizzed through the air.
Even across hundreds of meters in high altitude, accounting for hidden air currents, Tang San's accuracy was flawless as he directed the needles at Dai Yao's vital points with almost miraculous skill.
"As I expected—it's hidden weapons. Tang San's true strength has never been his twin spirits, but these weapons from his former life!" Dai Yao thought, frowning.
In the original story, Tang San had used hidden weapons to make even Zhao Wuji, a Spirit Sage, struggle despite only being a Grand Spirit Master at the time. Now that Tang San had reached the level of a Spirit King, his hidden weapons were all the more potent. Dai Yao knew better than to underestimate him.
Yet, due to the mental impact of Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes, Dai Yao was momentarily paralyzed, missing his best chance to evade.
"These control-type spirit masters are truly as annoying as flies!" Dai Yao thought irritably.
Tang San was no ordinary control-type spirit master; he had a top-level spirit. In any other scenario, Dai Yao would have closed the gap and swiftly defeated him.
With a thought, Dai Yao activated his first spirit ring, summoning a white protective barrier that enveloped his entire body.
Ting-ting-ting...
The barrage of Bone-Piercing Needles struck the white shield, causing only ripples across its surface before plummeting into the chasm below.
Tang San's heart raced. His Bone-Piercing Needles were some of the heaviest among his small hidden weapons, further enhanced by his spirit power and unique penetrating force. Even Spirit Kings could be caught off guard by such an attack. However, Dai Yao's spirit skill had activated so swiftly—almost instantaneously—blocking the needles with ease. Tang San suspected that even without any spirit skills, Dai Yao's physical resilience alone might have been enough to withstand his weapons.
"If that's the case, then I don't believe I can't break through that turtle shell!" Tang San's gaze hardened. With a flick of his hands, another ten cold flashes shot toward Dai Yao.
Without a pause, Tang San continued to release an endless array of hidden weapons toward Dai Yao.
Willow Leaf Blades, Flying Locust Stones, Golden Coin Darts, and Bone-Piercing Needles—each weapon wove through the air, some flying straight, some curved, some looping around to attack Dai Yao from behind.
In the sky, a dense swarm of hidden weapons filled the air, casting eerie shadows and resembling a cloud of locusts sweeping across the land, almost blotting out the sunlight.
"What... what is this? A self-created spirit skill?" gasped many Clear Sky Sect disciples, staring up in shock.
"What exactly has Tang San been through to create such terrifying techniques?" Tang Xiao wondered, brows furrowed.
With his experience, Tang Xiao could tell that Tang San wasn't using a self-created spirit skill but sheer skill alone. To achieve such a feat with pure technique and without a hint of hesitation revealed how many years Tang San must have devoted to this craft.
Meanwhile, Dai Yao's protective barrier was surrounded by a cocoon of hidden weapons, vibrating wildly, straining against the assault, and appearing as though it might collapse at any moment.
Inside, Dai Yao had wrapped himself with his White Tiger wings for added defense, realizing the barrier wouldn't last long against the barrage.
"These are only smaller hidden weapons, not overly powerful," he mused. "Tang San must have a reason for wasting all this effort on attacks that won't harm me. The real threat is lurking somewhere among them."
"As a power-type spirit master, I'm naturally countered by control-types, and Tang San clearly wants to restrict my movements. Fine, I'll play along."
With a sly grin, Dai Yao extended his left hand, claws sharpening.
"Let's see if you like the surprise I've prepared, Tang San."
In full view, Tang San's technique changed, and with a flick of his wrist, he launched a small purple pouch hidden amid the stream of weapons.
As the pouch approached Dai Yao, it burst open, releasing a dense purple mist that quickly filled the sky, casting a purple haze over half of the battlefield.
The elders of the Clear Sky Sect frowned as they recognized it for what it was—poison.
A disciple of the Clear Sky Sect using poison seemed shameful to the elders. The most proficient poison user on the continent was a newly advanced Title Douluo, a soul master they considered unworthy of comparison to their sect. To see Tang San stoop to poison felt like he was lowering himself.
But to Tang San, the purple mist was not a means to poison Dai Yao—it was a smokescreen to obscure his movements.
Five soul rings rose gradually, the fifth black ring glowing brightly once more. With the burst of the Killing God Domain, a golden light radiated from Tang San's right arm as a gleaming spear slowly formed in his hand.
"Fifth Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Overlord Spear!"
A moment later, the Blue Silver Overlord Spear took shape in Tang San's grasp. With a piercing sound, it shot toward the purple mist. For this move, Tang San ceased his barrage of hidden weapons, leaving the clinking impacts on Dai Yao's White Tiger Barrier gradually fading. The mist itself was also thinning.
Watching Tang San launch the Blue Silver Overlord Spear again, many Clear Sky Sect disciples were puzzled. They had seen that the spear couldn't harm Dai Yao. Wasn't he just wasting spirit power by forcing this attack? Was Tang San just bluffing, lacking any true strength?
In the sky, the golden spear plunged into Dai Yao's white protective barrier, puncturing a small hole before being blocked by his White Tiger Wings. The spearhead, filled with killing intent, pushed desperately to penetrate the cocoon of White Tiger Wings.
Noticing the dwindling number of hidden weapons, Dai Yao reached out from behind the White Tiger Wings with his right hand, preparing to crush the Blue Silver Overlord Spear once again. Sensing the resistance along the spear's shaft, Tang San's face lit with a victorious grin.
"Dai Yao, you fell for it!"
The spear disintegrated into golden fragments, which sprouted thick strands of Blue Silver Grass that wrapped around Dai Yao like a cage.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Prison!"
Knowing the spear alone wouldn't harm Dai Yao, Tang San hadn't clung to that hope. He had, instead, laid a trap. Over the past five years, Tang San had replayed scenarios in his mind on how to defeat Dai Yao, growing deeply familiar with his adversary's personality. With Dai Yao's pride, he would try to seize the spear again, aiming to destroy Tang San's confidence.
Anticipating this, Tang San had used his peerless control to maneuver the spear's fragments around Dai Yao with his Control Crane, Capture Dragon technique, forming the Blue Silver Prison in mid-air. Tang San's wits had accomplished what seemed impossible.
"Dai Yao, I admit, on the path of a spirit master, I am not your equal. But with my true power, you are no match for me!" Tang San's voice was cold as he addressed the trapped Dai Yao. "For the pain you caused Xiao Wu, for exposing her identity and tearing us apart, for hurting Boss Dai and splitting up the Seven Devils… I'll settle it all today!"
Tang San's gaze was fixed on Dai Yao, who was now restrained in the Blue Silver Prison. Surprisingly, Dai Yao showed no sign of struggle and instead observed Tang San with interest.
"Oh? I'm curious to see what this 'true power' of yours is."
Everyone held their breath, knowing the battle's climax was at hand. Tang San's true technique would soon be revealed.
Slowly, Tang San pulled a cylindrical device from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges on his waist. With a light press, a radiant, fan-like display burst forth, as dazzling as a peacock spreading its tail—Peacock Plume, the third-ranked hidden weapon of the Tang Sect.
"Dai Yao, dying by the third-ranked weapon of the Tang Sect is an honor!"
Tang San lovingly caressed the Peacock Plume, as though touching a lover. His deep-seated hatred for Dai Yao had driven him to constantly ponder ways to defeat him. Over five years, he had crafted the Peacock Plume to be his ultimate weapon against Dai Yao. Now, he would use its brilliance to exact his revenge.
Dai Yao's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the Peacock Plume. He had never anticipated that Tang San would complete this weapon so soon. The Peacock Plume had extraordinary power on the Douluo Continent—it could pierce the defense of a Spirit Sage and even the true form of martial spirits. Caught off guard, it could even seriously wound a Title Douluo.
"So he's already made the Peacock Plume," Dai Yao thought, taken aback. "In the original story, Tang San only developed this after founding the Tang Sect, with Lou Gao's help. I pushed him so much that he made it early." He surmised that Tang San might have even created the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus or the Storm Pear Blossom Needle to face him, had materials for them not been so scarce.
Watching Dai Yao's expression, which was a blend of shock and something more, Tang San's heart skipped a beat. Did Dai Yao have another trump card?
"No, I must be overthinking it. The Peacock Plume will be his death."
Tang San aimed the Peacock Plume at Dai Yao, pressing another switch. With a rapid burst, twelve types of hidden weapons shot toward Dai Yao, carrying an aura of death.
The sharp whirring of the weapons filled the air. Tang Xiao and the five elders were astonished, even sensing a slight threat from the attack themselves.
"Little San's power is terrifying," one elder murmured. "Such skill at his age… surely Dai Yao is finished this time."
Even the previously skeptical Seventh Elder had abandoned his doubts, his admiration for Tang San finally prevailing over any lingering prejudice.
The Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos exchanged a look of alarm. Trapped by Tang Xiao's watchful gaze, they couldn't rush to Dai Yao's aid.
"If you harm him, I swear, the Clear Sky Sect will be erased from the continent!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's normally gentle voice rang with fierce determination.
Tang Xiao laughed defiantly. "Ha! As if our Clear Sky Sect would ever cower to threats. Little San, go ahead! Whatever happens, I'll bear it!"
"Damn it! Are those three from the Worship Hall going to just stand by and watch him die?" Chrysanthemum Douluo muttered, face dark with fury.
At that moment, a distant rumble sounded from the heavens. Tang San, previously brimming with victory, felt his expression shift in an instant.
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